Before He Falls
by Gummiedrop
Summary: "If actions always prove why words mean nothing, then the best kind of thanks is silent." When a former Death Note user sees Light pick up a mysterious black notebook, she's determined to repay him for something he doesn't even remember doing for her. But as time goes on, she realizes that she'll need to save Light not just from people chasing him, but from himself. [Light X OC]
1. Chapter 1: If Only

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note. And I _totally_ don't dream about what it would be like if I did.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

If Only

.

My hand rested on his shoulder as I smiled at him, eyes twinkling in the morning sunlight. "Light Yagami, can I speak to you for a moment? There's something I'd like to… discuss." I purposefully let my voice trail off into a whisper, blushing as if I was on camera being filmed for some romance movie. His reaction went from shock to curiosity as my hand trailed down to grab his, pulling him to the side and away from the prying eyes of the small crowd.

I was sick of it all, of this world. People lived only to die. They acted only to harm. They spoke only to lie. I understood what he was thinking at that moment. I had thought the same way when I had first laid my hands on that notebook, felt the soft, cool texture as I ran my fingers through the pages. It had ruined me, brought me to my highest only to sweep me under the bus so that I crashed down without any warning. It wouldn't happen to anyone else, so long as I may live.

"What's the matter, Yumiko?" Light's voice asked calmly, his head tilted to the side in an innocent manner. "Did something happen?" He tried to hold the book out of sight, but I had seen it fall, I had seen him pick it up. It didn't matter how hard he tried to keep me from noticing. I knew it was there, behind his back. He had no idea what he would be getting himself into if he kept hold of it.

There was no sight of a shinigami, but I knew whichever one had dropped that Death Note would show their twisted face soon enough. I had to be quick, for if it saw me it would know what I was. I couldn't take that risk, not until Light was safe. Not until he was out of the equation, with no memories and no evidence.

"Oh, I'm so glad you could talk to me, Light," I sighed, faking distress. The proud student in front of me let concern flash across his face, only to remind himself to relax. I understood this; it was hard to focus when emotions came into play. They warped your mind until you could no longer think straight. "You see, I've always… Hey, what's that? In your hand?" A twist he hadn't been expecting, or at the very least was hoping to go on without. It was evident in his eyes. There was the saying that a person's soul could be seen through their eyes. Light didn't know it, but that was actually the easiest way to read him.

It was only a moment before he recomposed himself, allowing a forced smile to show. "It's just a journal. I hope you don't think of it as silly, but I much rather enjoy writing down my thoughts." Cautiously yet with a quick sort of ease, he slipped the Death Note into his bag, laughing lightly. "Anyways, what is it that you wanted to speak with me about?" He was always straight to the point, even under pressure, and especially when he wanted something.

"Your journal, huh? It's not silly; I keep one too. But, Light, would you do me a favor?" I hushed my tone back into one of a sweet, innocent schoolgirl rather than that of a suspiciously questioning woman. The sudden changes frustrated him, I could tell, but that was just what I wanted. Confusion led to uncertainty, which in turn led to fear. He nodded, and I looked down at my feet, rocking side to side to give him the impression of nervousness. Light needed to believe that he could control me, that I was someone easily manipulated and therefore not a threat. With a shy smile parting my lips I waited for a few minutes before continuing, darkening my demeanor into something much more threatening. "When the person who dropped their notebook shows up, you should really give it back to them. It would be rude not to." With that I skipped away, rushing over to my friends and giggling as if I had done something scandalous, giving them only vague answers to their eager questions.

"To answer your concerns, Yumiko," Light said, tugging on my arm so that I would spin around and face him. "I think things will work out just fine. If they really want it back, I'll gladly return it, but I doubt that'll be the course of events." He was emotionless, eyes hardened and muscles tensed. It was no good. He hadn't listened nor taken my words into consideration. If anything, he seemed to be only more suspicious of me than he had ever been. That's okay. I didn't plan on stopping.

"Of course. I trust your judgment, Light." I bowed politely, and a few of the other girls whispered frantically into each other's ears, most likely misinterpreting the entire situation. In all honesty, though, I could care less about their meaningless and spineless gossip. My focus was firmly planted on the man in front of me, his icy cold hands sending chills throughout my arms and the image his of seemingly sweet smile burning into my mind. There had to be some way to help him, some way to make him see the truth hidden within the lies of this world, of that notebook. He had no idea what he did for me, how much those few charismatic words when we first met had saved me. I had every intention to return the favor, even if it killed me.

He began to walk away, hands in his pockets and eyes shut. No, not yet. "Oh, but Light!" I shouted at him, regaining his attention. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed or simply frustrated, but nonetheless, he still held his head up. "I suddenly remembered. I'm not free on Friday. Perhaps we could rearrange the dinner to be on Saturday instead?"

"Yes, I think that would be alright. Momoko's is still open around 5 on Saturdays, too, so there shouldn't be any problem," he replied with ease, not even a moment of hesitation passing by. Good, he had caught on quicker than I had expected. Saturday, 5 pm, at Momoko's Diner. I would be there.

"Great! I'll see you then. I'm sure we have a lot of things to talk about regarding that project." I was fairly certain that during the four days in between today and Saturday he would test out the Death Note and the shinigami will have arrived. The notebook will have probably already begun to corrupt his mind, but I wasn't left with much of a choice. He needed to know that what he was dealing with was real and that I was someone who knew about it. That alone would compel him to meet with me, whether out of simple curiosity or a desire to get rid of me. "Make sure to come alone, just us two, okay Light? I'll be upset if you bring someone else along." An innocent giggle left my lips, but he could tell I was faking it. Hopefully, by then he'll know who I mean.

Taking a long look at the vibrant, blue sky, I decided that I was prepared for the consequences of my actions, whatever they may be. Someday, he'll thank me. Someday, he'll understand. But for right now, I just needed to compel him into doing what I needed him to. That couldn't be too hard, right?

* * *

 **A/N:** Don't worry! I don't plan on stopping "Cherry on Top" as of right now. This is definitely a second priority, not to mention a random idea that probably won't go anywhere. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I'll continue this. But, of course, if you guys want me to, I think that could be arranged. Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night wherever you are!

 **Edit (2/13/18):** I'm in the process of re-writing some of these chapters, mostly because I'm appalled by how inconsistent I was (having to balance writing with school) and because I just overall think all of my writing sucks every time I re-read it. For those of you who love this story (and/or are probably planning to come at me with pitchforks for having not updated in like forever), please bear with me a little while longer while I get back into the swing of things! Xoxo~


	2. Chapter 2: Holding On

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the actual series nor my own Note.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Holding On

.

I walked down the sidewalk, making sure to keep a secure grasp on my bag. It was almost time to meet Light at Momoko's, but I was purposefully stalling, my feet dragging against the concrete. Despite my light jacket, I still shivered, the cold weather brushing against my cheeks until they became a soft red. I still debated whether or not Light would even show up; there was the possibility he would try to distance himself from me as much as possible, wanting me to do the same in turn. I almost wanted to curse at myself for being this anxious; feeling this way would surely make things go sour. Even though the odds were not in my favor, I continued to hope that his curiosity would drive him to at least meet with me. I could think about if he would try to kill me later.

Momoko's Diner was a small little building hidden between businesses and traffic. Most people passed right by it, as it's bland colors and normal atmosphere caused for misconceptions to be made regarding its purpose. I have once overheard several classmates discussing the area, and when they reached Momoko's they assumed it to be nothing more than a feeble clothing shop or perhaps even a tourist trap. Needless to say, the food was just as interesting as the building it was cooked in, however, the tawdry appearance was likely what compelled Light to arrange for our meeting to take place here.

The first thing I noticed when I entered was the customers—or rather the lack thereof. The place was barren, only the sound of a chef clanking around pots and pans through the door that likely led to the kitchen. Light had yet to arrive, which was rather surprising considering how late I was. I wondered if he too had been taking his sweet time, plotting out what he would say in an arranged fashion. I supposed I couldn't really blame him, after all, I had been doing the same thing.

I moved over to the corner table and sat down, taking in every detail in the cracked wallpaper and every spider along the walls. Surely there were several health violations here, but, then again, I was neither inspector nor food critic. What right did I have to judge the owner's choices?

A woman emerged from the kitchen, her apron covered in grease and hair wildly sticking up even with the net. Her name tag read "Momoko", and I concluded that she ran the restaurant all by herself.

"Hello," she greeted me distractedly, yet cheerfully, hurrying over to the cash register and picking up a small notepad before returning to my table. "Welcome to Momoko's Diner. I'm Momoko. What can I get for you?" Her smile was impressive and didn't look at all forced. It was to that I found myself momentarily confused.

"Just a water, please." Momoko's grin wavered, and I quickly explained. "A friend is supposed to meet up with me soon, so I want to order together." She seemed relieved and nodded, writing something down before scurrying away back to the kitchen. I sat in silence for several more minutes, twiddling my thumbs and eyeing the door. There was only one window to look out of, and I needed to know immediately when Light was going to walk in. I didn't want to be caught off guard.

"Here, dear." I was pulled back to reality just in time to see Momoko handing me a water bottle. "Sorry; ran out of cups a few days back. I'm going to restock as soon as I work up enough to pay for more." I smiled up at her in final understanding. She still managed to maintain her cheery demeanor, which was quite remarkable. It just goes to show that even in the toughest situations, so long as you're happy, you can make it through and keep going. She was lucky, to be able to stay positive.

The bell at the door rang, signaling a new customer. I turned to face my classmate, Light Yagami, heading over to my table calmly. Momoko's face lit up and she approached him, pencil and paper in hand.

"Can I get you something? Anything? I have a menu if you want," she asked. There was a certain pleading in her eyes that made me request for a menu, and she shimmied away with a skip in her step to fetch one.

Light took the seat across from me, watching my every move as if he were trying to count the number of breaths I took before one of us finally spoke up. I chose to spend my time fiddling with my hoodie strings, twisting and tying them into various knots and then untangling them only to start the cycle again.

"Well?" Light inquired, breaking the silence. I moved my attention from my fidgeting to his eyes, which had narrowed slightly since the last time I saw him. He was being more cautious. That meant the Death Note was taking effect. I he wasn't already suspicious of me when I first stopped to speak to him about the book, he was now. I eyed the air around my classmate, pleased that he had made the shinigami stay away like I'd requested. But...

"You didn't take my advice, Light-san," I stated bluntly, sighing afterward and letting myself fall against that back of the chair. He raised an eyebrow at me, then realization struck, and I smiled at his understanding. "You should've given it back."

"How do you know about it?" he asked, refusing to allow me control over the conversation. I opened my mouth to speak but quickly shut it at the sight of Momoko returning. She beamed at us, handing Light a water and me a menu.

"Order anything, anything at all," Momoko chirped, then backed away giggling. She probably thought this was a date and was flattered we had chosen her restaurant to meet up. It looked as though Light had noticed this too, and was about to call after her to clarify, but I kicked him in the shin. I wouldn't let him burst her bubble. Admittedly, her smile was growing on me more than I thought it would.

"Ooh, the chicken salad looks good," I purred, flipping through the menu. Light shot me a glare, which I took as an 'are you kidding me?'. I looked up at him, smiling innocently. "We both know we're going to avoid each other's questions until one of us finally gives up. So let's just keep things calm while we can, shall we?" He nodded, yet didn't reply.

Momoko brought me my salad, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Neither Light nor I had spoken up, and so I, sick of the awkward silence, decided to submit first. "I read the cover when it fell from the sky. A quick google search on my phone revealed some old myths revolving around shinigami. An even quicker hypothesis and some thinking led me to the conclusion that that notebook kills people, and a shinigami would come looking for it." The lie rolled off my tongue with ease. I tried to shake off any sarcastic tones, slowing down the pacing of my words as if uncertainty was still present in my mind.

By the looks of things, Light bought it. I wondered if he had been so desperate for something to explain me knowing what I did that he was willing to accept even something as fake as that.

"I didn't return the Death Note because I want to keep it." Good, at least he was talking now. But… did he want to keep it? This wasn't good. Seeing my face fall, he quickly elaborated. "Think about it, Yumiko. This world is rotten. People committing crimes freely, hurting the lives of those around them. I want to change that. I've been purifying this world by punishing criminals. Soon there will only be humans who I have judged to be right and kind additions to society. I want to make the world a better place."

"And I suppose you want me to help you do this?" I asked. Light's mouth gaped open slightly, shock twisting his face as he nodded. "Makes sense, considering what I know..." Damn. What else could I say in this situation? The Death Note has warped his mind faster than I originally expected. How long did I have before it was too late to save him? I needed his trust, to be able to get closer to him without suspicion or risk of getting killed. "Light, I-"

"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you an international message from the ICPO." Our attention was directed to the news being broadcasted from a small, box-like television plastered against the upper wall. Light's eyes widened as the man who claimed to be L—Lind L Tailor—continued to speak. It wasn't that long of a speech and it felt somewhat rushed to me, but Light watched it with a rather frightening intensity.

"Kira, I have a pretty good idea what your motives are, but what you're doing is evil." It was at that moment that I felt Light spiral downwards, and not even I could manage to hold on. I saw it first in his eyes, the way he glared at the screen without blinking. He stood slamming his fist against the table, knocking over the drinks and causing my fork to fall to the ground. The gears in his head were spinning, and I could only imagine what kind of inner monologue he was running through.

"Light..," I pleaded, eyes wide. He didn't listen and instead pulled out the Death Note, scribbling the man's name down in huge letters. I flinched as he finished, noticing the smirk that curled his lips. It was forty seconds later that Lind L Tailor died by means of a heart attack on live television. Had Light already drowned? Was there any point in me trying to help him now?

"I don't believe it." Shock surged across our faces as we watched the screen flip to the single letter "L" carefully contrasting a white background. It finally registered in my brain what had happened. I almost smiled. How clever. "I had to test it just to be sure, but, Kira, it seems like you can kill without having to be here in person. If you did indeed just kill Lind L Tailor, the man you saw on TV, then you should know that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today; that was not me. But I assure you, L is real, I do exist. Now Kira, try to kill me!"

It was obvious that Light couldn't; without a name or a face, the Death Note was useless. After several moments without response to his challenge, L pressed on. "Well, Kira… it seems there are some people you can't kill after all. You've given me a useful hint. Let me return the favor. Although this was announced as a worldwide broadcast, the truth is, we are only broadcasting this in the Kanto region of Japan."

Light's smirk faded and his eyes snapped back to normal, and I silently thanked L for bringing him to his senses. "We were going to broadcast this message around the world until we found you, but it seems like that will no longer be necessary. I now know where you are," the distorted voice continued, a teasing tone to its words. Even after L went on to explain, I still found myself impressed by his intelligence to have been able to fit together all the puzzle pieces. Who was this guy?

"Naturally, I am curious as to how you commit these murders, but I don't mind waiting a while. You can tell me when I catch you," L finished, sureness and determination in his words. "Let's meet again soon, Kira." The screen went to static, leaving us alone once more.

Momoko must've been busy cleaning up in the kitchen, for she had missed out on the entire thing. A shaky Light sat back down, running his fingers through his hair and sighing harshly. Thirsty, he drank from the half-empty water bottle, eyes locked shut as he tried to process what had just happened. I smiled, caving into the giddiness that was running through my blood.

"I'll help you," I spoke softly and sweetly, stealing his fork and resuming eating my meal. Light looked up at me and mouthed the word "what", struggling to find his voice due to the inner turmoil going through his head. "You want to make the world a better place. I want to help you do that." I rose from my chair and handed him a napkin with my phone number written on it before walking away. He would call me when he figured out what to do next. I could wait.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all so much for the great feedback! This will continue on now, and I'm looking forward to taking this ride with you all! This is a slightly longer chapter than I usually do, so I apologize for the abundance of information and inevitable slow pacing.


	3. Chapter 3: Setting the Board

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Death Note, its fantastically organized plot twists, its lovely written characters, or L's endless supply of sweets (even though he's not exactly present in this chapter).

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Setting the Board

.

The mattress was soft under my weight, and I fell briskly against it, wrapping the covers around me as I watched the shadows cast by the computer's eerie glow dance along the ceiling. I enjoyed the comforting atmosphere while I could; it would be necessary to change hotels within the next day. Although I wasn't looking forward to it, a long life evading both authorities and criminals alike has prompted me to set aside desires for safety.

Light had yet to call me, but it hadn't been too long since we last saw each other at Momoko's, and, as such, it was only natural for him to be waiting for the right moment. Perhaps he was too busy debating how to react to not just L's challenge, but my offer to assist him? Sighing, I sprung abruptly back up, the blankets falling off my shoulders as my short hair brushed forward from the force.

"Urta," I whispered gently, the name barely making its way through my lips. Silence. For a moment I wondered if, after all these years, she had left me, but quickly shook the thought away. "I know you're still here, so, please, answer me." The curtains fluttered spontaneously, but, unlike most, I didn't jump.

"Yumiko?" The outline of a deformed skeletal figure glimmered next to the open window, the moonlight reflecting off the smooth surface of what I believed to be her skin. I mentally cursed at myself for shivering unconsciously; I should be used to these sorts of things by now. But... she hadn't ventured away after all? I felt bad, knowing that it was my selfishness that had trapped her here for far longer than she wanted, but I ignored the stinging pain in my heart. Taking my silence as an indication of something being wrong, she continued to address me, worry lining her scratchy voice. "It's been a while. What has called me to you?"

"Have you heard the news? Another human found a Death Note." I watched as her claws tensed, understanding her reaction. "It's one of my classmates—Light Yagami. He wants to rid the world of criminals and return peace to the innocent."

"You intend to help him," Urta stated. It wasn't even a question at this point, as she knew me better than to think I would've called for her should I still be making up my mind. I nodded and she released her tension, claws unfolding and stretching back out into their normal shape. "I realize that his words that day tremendously helped mend your broken mind, however, I must admit that working with him will only lead you to more heartbreak. If what you say is true, and he has come into possession of another shinigami's notebook, then he's not the same man you met all those years ago—if we can even still call him human."

"Light still is human," I grumbled, curling the blankets under my fingers into a fist. "And I intend to assist him to make sure that he stays that way, even if I have to risk my own life." This came out a bit more emotional than I'd intended, but it held water nonetheless.

Urta turned away from me and faced the window, then the computer. She must've found it difficult to accept me involving myself with such a cursed notebook again, and therefore couldn't bear to look me in the eyes to tell me her opinion. Thankfully, I didn't exactly need her approval.

"You are not going to listen to me," she sighed. "Very well. What is it you need of me?" Apparently, the open Wikipedia page on the computer screen about a certain detective wasn't enough to lead her to draw her own conclusions, but I found myself accepting her ignorance. Urta had never really been one with technology.

"There is a human detective who goes by the alias of L," I explained. "He is conducting an investigation of the heart attack victims, with his end goal being to sentence Kira… Light… to death. I want you to find him, but don't kill him—or, rather, don't kill him yet."

"Anything else, Yumiko?" Urta questioned, unfazed at the prospect of bringing death to yet another human, but slightly startled by my determination. I nodded and pulled the covers back up, wrapping them around my head as if they were a cloak.

"Also… I'll need my Death Note back." Swallowing, I noticed a lump in my throat, and shook my head suddenly, insisting that I relax. Urta flinched at my words and redirected her line of sight towards the computer. "It's fine. I can handle it now," I assured not just her, but myself as well. She didn't appear to believe me, but handed me the small notebook from her satchel. I remembered a night from years ago, requesting her to hide it with her own until I ask for it back. It was surprising to realize that she had actually kept up with her promise.

After it was in my hands, Urta then backed away, her dark silhouette fading as she slinked through the window and out into the night. I wordlessly thanked her patience for sticking with me for so long and wondered if all shinigami were as calm as her. But now wasn't the time to sit around and think about such pointless things. I had a job to do, and the reward would only be as great as I made it.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sadly, I am running out of clever disclaimers for my chapters. Also, I've been busy studying for exams, so this is a slightly shorter chapter, but it'll set things up for something really big that's going to happen soon.

Thank you all so much for such positive feedback! This little, formerly unsaturated idea that was once crammed into the darkest corners of my mind has now been drawn into the inking stages, and soon it'll be brought to you in color~. I had zero expectations for this, but since you all seem to want it continued so much I am happy to oblige.

Now then, onto review responses…

.

...ooOoo...

.

 _ **walker012800:**_ Yep! I'm officially continuing. Thank you for sticking with me so far! I'm honored you find this silly idea interesting. :D

 _ **Ico:**_ Ding ding ding~! We have a winner. You are correct; Yumiko wants to save Light from the Death Note's corruption, but who knows how that'll work out? You hit the nail on the head. :3 Oh, and also! This will be updating on a semi-regular basis. Happy you're enjoying so far!

 _ **OTPwanderer:**_ Your review was, hands down, one of the most thoughtful ones I've ever received. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Now, then, with Light's possessiveness… there is a method to my madness. I can't remember when it was exactly, but Light was talking to Ryuk sometime during the actual series, and said something along the lines of, "There is just something about the Death Note that makes humans want to try it." That small little quote is actually what inspired this whole idea, and the premise you're seeing in this fic reflects that vision.

I've always viewed the Death Note as a much more powerful item than it's typically conveyed as. I like to think of it as a sort of mysterious force that works its way into the mind of the user and corrupts their moral compass. That's all I'll say about that for now, but I promise things will be explained in greater detail later on. ;)

I'm really glad you like Yumiko! Although it'll be a while before she flashes some of her more true colors, I'm happy that you're able to see some depth in her even now. And, ah yes, Light… Oh, that stubborn yet genius psycho. Don't we love him so? Let's just hope he'll let Yumiko help him; wouldn't want him to wind up dead again, would we? Also, I don't exactly have good grammar (especially according to my English teacher), but that honestly made my day. And, don't worry; I can't tell you how many times I have to reread what I write. We're in the same boat, my friend. Again, thanks for such an awesome review!

 _ **Guest:**_ Haha… picking up the pace… Yeah, I'm infamous for putting way too much detail and/or thought into what I write, and with a self-enforced word limit of 600-1500 words, I almost never write good action. But, just for you, I'll try to put up a really nicely paced chapter sometime soon! I will definitely be deviating from the main storyline, too.

.

...ooOoo...

.

 _Thank you for reading~ Have a good day/night wherever you are! Xoxo~_


	4. Chapter 4: Fixed Fractures

**Disclaimer:** Death Note and its wonderful characters are not mine, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Fixed Fractures and Motivated Manipulation

.

"You," I chided, sulking up at my classmate, "are an idiot! What were you thinking?" Yelling at him was definitely not the way to start things off, and, to be honest, it was not the way I expected myself to handle the situation. It was a rare occasion when I got mad, but, when I did, rationality seemed to always escape me.

Light coolly stepped to the side of my glare, moving over to his desk and sitting down in the chair. My eyes trailed his cautious movements, and I grimaced at his contentment. Did he really prognosticate my anger? That wasn't good; I couldn't have him reading me like an open book. I needed to calm down.

"Relax, Yumiko. I'm handling it," he encouraged, folding his arms across his chest. "Besides, that's not what I wanted to discuss when I decided to call you here. I have some questions for you still, you know." He looked at me with interest, his head tilting to the side with a sort of half-hearted effort. I had to admit that this wasn't what I had in mind either — I was fully expecting an interrogation after receiving his call — but I wasn't just about to let such a crazy decision go unnoticed. There was a system to everything, and that system needed to be followed without fail, or who knows what would happen. Unsurprisingly enough, Light didn't seem to have figured that out yet.

"Hacking into your dad's computer to find out what's going on with the investigation and then changing your habits to avoid suspicion is not 'handling it'," I berated, rubbing my eyes woefully. "L is smart, Light. He'll see that you've changed the times of the killings immediately after they drew the conclusion the Kira is a student, and he'll suspect that you have access to police information. It'll also confirm for him that his surmises regarding your age are correct. Do you really not see how much of a stupid move that was?"

Silence hovered in the air for a few moments, and I took this time to calm my racing heart and take some deep breaths. Perhaps I was overreacting - no, cross that, I _am_ overreacting - but if we were going to work together I needed to let him know where I stand in matters like this. Plus, if he continued in this manner, who knew how long it would be before he got caught? I couldn't let him be so reckless anymore. This wasn't some sort of game; surely he realized that things wouldn't work out in his favor forever. Rolling the dice is a risky business, and luck runs out eventually. What happens when he rolls a one but L rolls a six?

"You really aren't going to let this go, are you?" he sighed, clearly wishing for me to just nod and accept his decisions blindly. I shook my head defiantly, an austere look on my face. He decided to continue to explain rather than understand what I was trying to say. "Look: I want L to suspect the police. If he finds out that information is being leaked, he's going to feel obligated to find the source. This will create a harsh tension between the task force and L, leading to distrust and, for some people, resentfulness. If the police start investigating L, I can use the things they find out to my advantage, and-"

"No, nope, no." I waved my hand in front of my face, dismissing his reasoning entirely. God, I hoped he wouldn't hate me after this. "The worst possible thing you can do is change your patterns. If you keep doing things the same way you've always been doing them, it makes it far more difficult for L to be able to pick up on clues to your identity. Think about it: No changes, no slip-ups, no information to go off of. This is too much of a gamble, Light." Noticing the dubious look in his eyes, I added, "Trust me on this. You have two choices at this point. Either rapidly change your tendencies until there is no one set 'habit' of Kira, or maintain your previous pattern for as long as possible. Please, Light."

Light watched me for a moment, gaze staunch. "Criminals have been dying every hour on the hour for the past two days. Won't it look weird if I reverted back to killing only after school hours?" he asked. I bit my lip, but not because of the situation we were in, but, rather, because I was worried about him. He showed no concern regarding this development and seemed to be firmly set on doing things his way, even with all of the contingencies involved. The Death Note was fueling his ego, wasn't it? My shoulders relaxed and my face fell into a sort of sadness, an action he immediately picked up on. Realizing my sudden mistake, I slipped back on my neutral mask, but the damage had already been dealt. Stupid me...

"No, not at all," I explained, shying away from my slip up. "Anyone can skip a few days of school, especially when they're Kira and want to divert attention from themselves. L will likely believe that Kira wanted to change things up for a bit to throw people off his tail, and then resumed killing per usual." It was nothing more than a whimsical speculation, and I knew that, but hopefully it would hold enough water to keep our rocky little raft afloat until Urta came back.

Pulling out his Death Note, Light thumbed through the pages and sighed as he turned on the television. "Okay. I'll start changing the times of deaths. I've already pre-written criminals down for another few days, however from then on, they'll die during after-school hours, just like before."

I nodded, smiling. "Thank you." Still, something didn't quite feel right. He had given in far too easily to my request, without much argument on his part. Was he trying to win me over? Is he concerned that I'll expose and turn him in? "You know," I urged, determination locking my features, "you have nothing to worry about. I'm here to aid you in any and every way I possibly can. Anything I say, do, or suggest is purely meant to help. I assure you: I have no ulterior motives whatsoever, Light. There is nothing I want more in this world than to assist you."

"But, why?" he deadpanned, probably more harshly than he'd intended. "Why help me? We never really talked much before all this, and the reward you could get for turning me in is worth so much more than just some friendship. Do you really believe in this cause, or is there something else you want?" His eyes softened, and I determined that his inability to figure out my motives was what had been causing the delay between our meeting at Momoko's and his phone call.

"No. Honestly, I don't want anything." We looked at each other awkwardly, both of us struggling to find what to say. I wasn't too sure how to justify my position, either. How could I explain myself, wanting to repay him for something he probably doesn't even remember he did for me?

"Anyways," he digressed, gaze sharpening, "I wanted you to meet the shinigami." He observed my reaction tentatively, neutrality solidifying his expression. My heart dropped in my chest, blood rushing to my cheeks to tint them a pale red. No, I couldn't let a shinigami see me. They'd notice the missing lifespan above my head, and I wasn't inclined to tell Light that I, too, was a Death Note user. Not only that, but the fact that I'd been lying to him about my name this whole time. It would be far too much explaining on my part.

"Actually, Light, I'd rather be on my way, now," I started, smiling sweetly. "I have something I need to be doing. Ai invited me to a study session." He frowned, obviously wondering why I was so against meeting his shinigami when it wouldn't take long at all.

"Yumiko, what's wrong?" Light coaxed, noticing my discomfort. "He's not that awful, you know. A little disturbing at times, but mostly harmless." A smile parted his lips excitedly. My uneasiness had given him the first lever over me he'd been able to work out. Dammit. What could I say to get out of this? Light's shinigami would surely sell me out for him, just like Urta would do for me if I were in a similar situation, and I didn't feel like trying to establish my motives as words just yet. Light had already let me hold his Death Note, but that didn't mean I was ready to see whatever shinigami it was that Light had asked to maintain distance from me. "Ryuk, come in."

It was horrifyingly frightful, phasing through the door without any effort whatsoever, its skin withered and eyes bulging. I shouldn't have been too startled — Urta was just as disturbing — but it was weird, seeing another shinigami besides her. "Finally. I was wondering when I'd get to meet the human girl you kept yapping on and on about," he rasped, voice scratchy and low. "The name's Ryuk. I take it you're the one who knocked him out of his comfort zone?"

"I... guess. My name is Yumiko. Yumiko Kasai. It's a pleasure to meet you." I bowed my head before composing myself to watch Ryuk. His yellowed eyes darted to the name above my head, and he let out a light chuckle, his already drawn smile expanding to expose all his crooked teeth. This was bad.

"Haha, Light, you've gotten yourself a good one," he chortled, laughing like mad. "She's gonna be trouble, I bet you that." Light looked at me curiously, analyzing my every move, before resting his eyes on Ryuk's distorted face.

"What do you mean, Ryuk?" he queried, rolling the shinigami's name around on his tongue in a presumptuous manner. Had he caught on? No, surely not; Ryuk hadn't directly told Light about my name and lifespan yet. It was just his desire for more information on me, I reminded myself. I clutched the fabric of my skirt, silently grinding my teeth together to keep my facial expression calm.

"I mean, you sure you can handle a distraction like her?" What? Light's mouth gaped ever so lightly, his eyes returning their normal sheen, and a flush of momentary confusion and panic rose to my cheeks, which I stubbornly tried I shrug off. Ryuk really wasn't going to tell him? He must've seen it, and yet… no hints, no accusations, no suggestions, no nothing? Urta had always helped me out, making sure that I knew everything she kenned. So why didn't this shinigami do the same for Light?

"I… I'll be going now," I stammered, averting my eyes. "Again, it was nice meeting you, Ryuk. And, Light, keep in mind what we talked about. Have a good night." I left through the door, feeling completely disconcerted, before I could be questioned any further. Reaching the front door, I thanked Light's mother for her hospitality and assured her that I would be fine walking to the bus station alone.

.

...ooOoo...

.

Halfway to the bus stop, I froze. Footsteps clamored against the sidewalk, settling when I ceased walking and following when I started again. I hugged my old bag closer to my chest, taking longer strides. Why would someone be tailing me? Actually, I could already come up with several assumptions to answer that. Rather, _who_ is tailing me? Considering no other options, I hurried along, dashing to the bus stop without any further hesitation.

* * *

 **A/N:** Gah, I hate school. This is a very, very late chapter, so I've made it much longer than I normally would in order to make up for my poor planning and terrible time-keeping skills. Anyways, this chapter is where things are going to start slowly deviating from the original plot line! (Which also means it'll be harder for me to write things, but, heck, there's nothing I can do about that.) Expect weird developments that'll make the characters OOC, and confusing plot deviations that end up giving you more questions than answers

So, Light called Yumiko (finally) to talk, and she ended up scolding him instead (she can really be too emotional at times, despite not wanting to, huh?). Ryuk now knows (or at least can sorta guess) who she is, but he's not saying anything yet. And now someone's following her? Who? Why? You'll have to wait until the next update for that~ Which will be up late, mainly because it's now Quizmas (one quiz every day until winter break), and I'll be pretty busy. I apologize in advance.

Alright, to review responses we go~!

.

...ooOoo...

.

 _ **Natasha-Tenshi:**_ "Installment"... that sounds so formal haha. I love it. But, here it is, as you wish~! Thank you for reading, and I'm glad you like it so far.

.

...ooOoo...

.

 _Thank you for reading! I hope your day goes according to keikaku! Xoxo~_

 _*Translator's note: Keikaku means "plan"._


	5. Chapter 5: Past Regrets

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own the work of art called Death Note.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Past Regrets

.

With a soft sigh, I closed the heavy hotel door, heart thundering away in my chest. The vociferous sound of footsteps replayed in my mind, and I took a moment to calm myself and concentrate. There was one prominent question that couldn't stop making itself known: who? A stalker? No, I'm not someone worth stalking. My skin is lackluster and my thin hair frowzy; there's no way a stalker would take an interest in me. But then who?

"Urta?" I called, flicking on the lights. This hotel was diminutive in comparison to the one we'd been in just nights before, and it didn't take any time at all to spot her. The shinigami stood towering along the side of the room's small bed, her dark and misshapen frame crisply outlined by the pale wall. She was looking out the window, observing the nightlife. But, at the sound of her name, she turned her head to give me her full attention, something I took immediate advantage of. "Why are you staring out the window like that?"

"Someone watched you on your way here. They saw you enter the hotel," Urta stated simply, then returned to glaring through the glass. Panicked curiosity came upon me once more, and, with a slight uneasiness in my stomach, I moved over to look with her. There was no one outside, not even a shadowed figure. Whoever it was, certainly they must've returned home for the night. "What did you do this time?" Urta asked in an almost accusing manner.

"Nothing other than hanging out with Light a bit more than usual," I shrugged defensively, laughing a bit. I hummed in thought for several seconds, then flicked on my computer. "I suppose our best course of action right now would be to move again. It's sooner than I had anticipated, but—"

"Could it be that L found out?" the shinigami next to me inquired. I continued scrolling through several location options, watching her from the corner of my eye. "That Light is Kira, I mean," she added. She would kill him if that really did happen, wouldn't she?

"He couldn't have," I determined. "There's only one possible slip-up that L could've exploited. Even then, it's been such a short span of time since Light hacked into his dad's computer for information on the task force. There's no way L was able to discover the link, track down potential suspects, and hire a tail for them and all people they come into contact with in… not even three full days." Even after saying this, a doubt crept into my mind. _But suppose he could_ , it said. _Suppose that he identified the killer. Tracked down Kira. Knows everything. Knows you. What will you do then? Will you repeat your past mistakes, or will you try but fail at something new?_

.

...ooOoo...

 _ **Ten Years Ago**_

.

"Yumi! Wait for me!" Nina Fujino called, out of breath. Her face was flushed and she looked shaky. Sighing, I stopped my quick pace and stood still, allowing her time to catch up. She eventually clambered up next to me, panting laboriously. Suddenly concerned, I tensed, prepared to catch her if she fell.

"Are you okay, Nina?" I asked abruptly. She was the only one in the family that I could tolerate without acting. The only one who actually cared about me, even if only a little. "Here, have some water. I haven't drunk anything out of it yet, and it's still a little cold." She gratefully grasped the bottle in her clammy little hands and drank from it happily.

"T-thank you." Nina held it back to me shyly after she'd quenched her thirst, avoiding looking me in the eyes. "Yumi, I… I wanted to ask you something. B-before I forget." It was hard for her to talk, her oppressive breathing making her stutter more than usual. Slipping my water back into my almost-falling-apart bag, I nodded, giving her my full attention. "Yumi… was it you? Who made those boys go missing? The ones who made fun of us? How'd you do it? I mean, it m-must've been you, right?" Her eyes held so many questions.

"What? No. No, of course not," I denied. All emotions were suddenly withdrawn from my face, and I glared at Nina harshly. She flinched and took a step back. It was then that I heard it for the first time. _Well, would you take a look at that? She's doubting you._ It wasn't me, yet it spoke from within my head. _She's just like the rest of them._ It had... such a winsome tone. "What would make you think a crazy thing like that, Nina?" My voice was almost a shout in comparison to the silence that had enveloped us.

"W-well, I'm… it's… just a hunch, really. A f-feeling. You haven't been acting like yourself since the start of the second grade." She stiffened and proceeded to examine the cracks in the sidewalk under her feet. "You haven't been acting like yourself, Yumi," she repeated. "Is it about mommy? Was she mean to you again? I know… she can be l-like that sometimes, but she's just not used to you yet." Her absolute faith made me grimace for a reason I couldn't name.

"You don't understand, Nina," I snapped. "You've had a family your whole life. You don't understand what it's like to live without them. Mrs. Fujino hates me, and, you know what? I hate her too. No one will ever love me, and no one will ever care for me. It won't be much longer 'til she ships me back to the orphanage. But... I honestly wouldn't blame her." I spun on my heel and began walking once more.

"Yumi, I care a-about you," she tried. "I know! I'll talk to mommy. I'll tell her what's been going on, and what happened with the boys from school, and everything will—"

"Liar." _Liar. Liar. Everyone's a liar. You hate them. You don't need them. You have power on your own. They're all liars._ "Don't even bother telling her. I don't want you to." _You don't want Fujino-san to know. Liars. The world is better off without liars like her. If she tells, you'll…_ Tears trickled down my cheeks. I didn't even want to, and yet I didn't really care all that much, either. I started a full on sprint away from her, ignoring her pleas and protests, the weight of the black notebook in my bag slowly growing heavier with every step.

.

...ooOoo...

.

"Yumiko." Urta's raspy voice snapped me back to my senses. My hands were shaking, the only identifiable difference in my demeanor. "Yumiko, calm down. Don't let it get to you again." She was right: I needed to stop thinking like this. With a few deep breaths, I set back to work, vowing to never again get to that point.

After deciding on a hotel that we would move to after school tomorrow—a small, shady-looking location with rather questionable service—, I decided to make myself some hot chocolate. Even though it was late, I wasn't worried about not being able to fall asleep. Sugar seemed to have no excited impact on me other than improving my mood; in fact, I often found myself drowsier than I was before.

"Have you found anything on L?" I queried, stirring my warm beverage. The heat vibrated off the mug and tingled my fingers in a pleasant manner. Urta watched me as I took another sip.

"Not yet," she said, her brash voice mimicking a sigh. "I asked around, but none of the other shinigami really pay much attention to the things that go on in the human world anymore. There are barely any who even take interest in humans at all, other than just for the purpose of expanding their own lifespans."

"So none of them have ever bothered to keep track of the humans they see, huh?"

"So it would seem. Humans are like fruit to those kinds of shinigami. They absentmindedly observe one until it's ripe for the picking. The more years they can add to their lifespans, the more interest they have in it. Those shinigami don't care about the consequences, the feelings humans go through, or even difference between good and bad." Urta stopped her ranting briefly as I finished off my drink and washed the dish thoroughly. "I'm tempted to fan through all of Japan until I find someone who could potentially be L, just so you have some insurance in case things go wrong."

"Okay," I nodded. "But be quick about it. Just find out who he is and where he is, then come right back, understand?" Urta bowed her head and backed out through the window, fading entirely from view.

.

...ooOoo...

 _ **About Two Days Later...**_

 _._

"So… Kira's pattern has changed again?" L muttered to himself, hunched over in front of the computer screen. The light in the room was an eerily wan tint of blue. He disregarded the stack of papers with names of the task force members and their families, setting it to the side of his workstation alongside a stack of empty dishes. "Watari?" he requested through the microphone, running quickly a hand through his slipshod hair.

The computer gave way to display a live video of a man in an obscure overcoat and hat. "Yes, L?" Watari asked, his tone deep and calming. L brought his thumb up to his lips, leaning somewhat backward in thought.

"I would like to reevaluate some of my former deductions regarding Kira," he stated bluntly, going over the events that befell this week. Watari nodded, giving L the go-ahead to continue thinking aloud. "Kira started killing as if he were a student, with criminals dying both after school hours and frequently during the weekend. Five days ago, he spontaneously changed the timings, with the killings occurring every hour on the hour. Today, however, the times of death returned to normal."

"Yes. The task force investigators during the last meeting were, once again, debating the likelihood that Kira is a student. Their reasoning is that anyone could skip a week of school, and the pattern reinstating proves that's what Kira did," Watari clarified. "I do admit, however, that it is strange. Not only that, but, as you told me before, it was after we came up with the theory that Kira could be a student that he started changing his pattern as if to contradict our hypothesis in the first place. It's possible that Kira has access to police information, but—"

"Now that the pace of the killings has changed once more, this time without initiative, it's less likely that Kira is one of—or related to—the task force members, and more likely that Kira is just a student who thought switching up his pattern would throw off the investigators." At L's sudden input, Watari ceased talking altogether, knowing that the detective's thinking process worked best in silence. After a few more moments, L looked back at the screen, chewing on his thumb. "I am against sharing this information with the task force for now, as the probability of this is still undetermined, but... I'd like for us to consider the possibility that Kira is not working alone as I'd initially thought."

* * *

 **A/N:** Wow… I am… one month late. Wow. That's new for me. And, honestly, it probably won't be the last time something like this happens. Although, with Winter Break only weeks away, hopefully it won't be as long of a wait in between chapters again. As an apology, this chapter is a couple hundred words more than I usually do. :)

I've placed up a poll on my profile page that will hopefully help me pick which story to continue. As of right now, in this very moment, it's hard for me to continue writing two stories of the same genres in the same fandom, so I'm putting one on hiatus. Vote for whichever one you like more, and don't be afraid to be honest!

 **Edit (2/13/18):** I've put "Cherry On Top" on temporary hiatus for now, as voting indicated that more of you wanted me to continue this fic (which is better for me, because this is easier to write for when I find the time). You can expect all my effort to be focused on this fic as right now. Thank you to the few who did vote~

Alright… Review responses!

.

...ooOoo…

.

 _ **RimK10:**_ Thank you very much! I, too, am loving this fic. The direction it's heading (although slowly) has me super excited! I have the general storyline completely laid out already, it's just really all about trying to connect everything together in a way that makes sense in both my and the reader's (your) head. It's a challenge, and I'll likely end up changing everything midway through (actually, I'm pretty sure I've re-planned it twice already), but I'll get through it.

 _ **sanbi221:**_ Thank you for the thoughtful review! Yes, Ryuk is quite the fun-addicted jerk, isn't he? And that's why I love him so much. In a way, he's sorta like us, watching the epic cat-and-mouse chase between L and Light all the while giving his commentary. He asks the questions we all have, doesn't care about the characters as if they were real people, and loves the entertainment that comes from it all. He's my favorite shinigami in the entire show (from what we know about the other ones), purely because of how funny and unconventionally relatable he is.

Anyways, Ryuk won't be telling Light anything he knows about Yumiko (her real name and that she's a Death Note user), for reasons you probably guessed (it makes it all the more interesting). Of course, he is still a total jerk. :P

I'm glad you're okay with slight OOCness. That's a huge relief for me, as I tend to interpret the characters _way_ differently than everyone else. I know a lot of people are finicky about OOC characters, so to know that there are those who don't mind it really gives me inspiration.

As the description says, this is _supposed_ to be a Light x OC fic. I say " _supposed_ to be" because it may not really happen. I'm terrible with romance, which means their relationship likely won't get any further than friends(?). If romance ever does manage to happen, it'll be a very _very_ slow burn that might not even fully flourish. Of course, I can totally see Light trying to get information out of Yumiko in that way should he determine it to be his only option, but I don't think that could happen with L.

Also, to clarify a bit, Ryuk was teasing Light, and, in the heat of the moment, Light may or may not have drawn the wrong conclusions. It is possible that Ryuk thinks Light's trying to get with Yumiko for information, but… more than anything else he's just a giant tease who likes getting reactions out of people.

Ah yes, those silly little grammar slip-ups. Thanks to your review, I went back through, re-read, and edited that chapter. I write on my phone a lot, and the tiny screen is difficult to deal with (especially with autocorrect). Please, correct me on things like that whenever you catch it. It means a lot to me when readers take the time to point out places where I messed up so I can fix it in the future. I like to learn from my mistakes, so it really helps to hear this kind of feedback. Thank you!

Yes, Yumiko is really going to need to work harder if she wants to keep this up. Light's letting her have her way for now out of curiosity, but we know how controlling he can be. Who knows when he'll say "okay" and then do the exact opposite of her suggestion behind her back? With L slowly figuring things out and a mysterious "stalker", the risk is growing with every move, and the room for error is rapidly shrinking.

Raye Penber is (hopefully) coming up next chapter, and I think you'll like the spin on both the characters and plot. ;)

 _Edit: (12/13/18) Whoops, I lied about Penber... but he'll in Chapter 7 for sure._

.

...ooOoo...

.

 _Thank you to everyone reading so far! Have a good day/night! Xoxo~_


	6. Chapter 6: Leave It All to Me

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dessu Nōto, or any variation thereof.

 **Warning:** This chapter contains parts where characters speak in English. Usually, these characters speak Japanese (but since I don't know Japanese and the rest of this fic isn't written in Japanese, it's all typed in English). So, for easier understanding(?), any words that are, in terms of character dialogue, said in English rather than Japanese are written in _italics_. Sorry for any confusion this may cause.

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Leave It All to Me

.

"Yumiko… Heyyy, Yumiii!" Ichio groaned next to me, her lips pursed in annoyance. "Are you even paying attention to us anymore?!" She flicked my arm impatiently, and I debated how long I could ignore her before she got more violent.

"Yeah, you do okay? Look like lost thoughts," Sam said worriedly, her Japanese as broken as ever. "We worry, yes?" Despite my current brooding, I bit my lip, trying hard not to giggle, but Ichio caught me and punched my shoulder playfully.

"Aha! So you really are listening, but, for some reason, you're ignoring us!" She yanked me into a bear hug, and I could barely breathe. "Y'know, you shouldn't make fun of Sam! She's just an exchange student, after all."

Sam, who, although she didn't fully comprehend the conversation, managed to pull us apart and started to fold her arms across her chest. "Stop fight, we get in trouble!" True to her words, several other students were staring. We were considerably lucky that there were no teachers in the halls.

Ichio let me go and noogied my hair, which otherwise wouldn't have mattered to me if it weren't for the fact that I had taken the time to comb it all out this morning. I haven't known her for long, but she still acts like we've been friends since birth. For all her talk yesterday about being impressing to the new exchange student, she sure was acting rather immature.

" _It'll be fine, Sam,_ " I assured her, speaking in almost perfect English. " _There aren't any teachers around here right now._ " My accent was quite funny, but my understanding was almost up to par with that of Light. Cheekily rubbing the back of my head, I continued, " _Sorry, I know that I'm supposed to be helping you out with classes and social stuff, so just... feel free to poke me when I talk to you in Japanese or forget to translate stuff for you._ "

" _Thank you, Yumiko,_ " Sam responded, looking tired. The time change must've been hard for her, I could tell. " _I'm so grateful that you volunteered to help me and to introduce me to your friends._ " Volunteered..? So that's what the teacher told her, huh? I mean, I didn't particularly mind all that much, but it was pretty annoying having to deal with the teacher's eager coaxing for a whole month. I kinda just wanted to get this all over with. Besides, it wasn't as if she was all that special of a girl, or anything interesting like that...

I began to try and straighten out my now tousled hair, taking the last few bites of the granola bar Sam had shared with me when I first met her at the school gate. Ichio, who had chosen to take Korean rather than English because of her favorite band, stood off to the side in a dejected manner, watching the people around us. Suddenly, she gasped, snickered, grabbed my arm roughly, and pulled me down through the hallway doors, leaving a bewildered Sam behind.

"What's wrong, Ichio? Now's not the time for fun and games, we need to get to class in a bit, and I still have some stuff I need to put away! And, not only did we just leave a poor British exchange student behind," I grumbled, looking down at the floor solemnly, "but you made me drop my granola bar." My eyes moved up to hers, narrowed and inflamed. She instead pressed a finger to my lip and shushed me.

"Light!" she laughed, shaking me back and forth rapidly. I was about to ask her what exactly she meant when she let go of my arm to peer around the doorframe. "Aw, looks like he's looking for you~! Poor Sam, though." Curious, I joined her.

A flustered Sam was trying and failing to talk to Light in Japanese. She was expressively moving her hands around in the air, too, which only made her look even funnier. Light appeared to have wandered over towards my shoe locker hoping to find me, only to meet an already quite stressed foreigner. Ryuk, who was floating above Light, was laughing his shinigami-butt off merrily. Tittering, I turned back to face Ichio and was surprised to see her staring at me with a creepy grin plastered across her face.

"You two are perfect for ea-"

"No, we can't be because, as I've been over before, we aren't together. I had a homework question, he offered to help, and our relationship status is, and will remain as, 'study buddies'." I left her side before she could press me further, and instead trotted back over to my shoe locker.

Sam looked extremely happy to see me back. "Y-Yumiko…" Her eyes were swelling with anxious tears and her face was bright pink. " _How do I introduce myself formally again?!_ "

I rested a hand on her shoulder, but Light actually stepped forward before I could respond. " _As I've been trying to tell you, I can understand you just fine in English, so you can relax,_ " he smiled awkwardly, glancing sideways at me. I nodded in agreement.

" _Yup! Plus, he's even better with English than I am._ " This revelation seemed to be the final straw for Sam, and she started to frantically and embarrassedly pull at her hair.

" _Oh… oh, I'm so sorry, um, I…_ " Taking a deep breath, she stopped strangling her side ponytail and stuck out her arm towards him. " _Sam. Sam Perry. It's nice to meet you._ " It occurred to me that I'd forgotten to tell her that most Japanese people aren't accustomed to shaking hands and preferred to bow. Thankfully, Light didn't seem to mind, holding her hand in his right away.

" _Light Yagami. The pleasure's all mine._ " He paused for a moment after letting go, and Sam looked like she was about to start panicking again at his silence. " _Sam… That's a pretty name._ " And because of that, she reeled around on her heel and trudged over to Ichio's hiding spot as fast as she could while still dragging her feet.

I rubbed my eyes but couldn't hide my amused expression. "Sorry about her, she's from England. Because she isn't fluent in Japanese and doesn't understand the customs here, I've been asked to keep an eye on her." I clasped my hands together, exasperated. "If you see her struggling when I'm not around, please, oh please, help her out. It would mean a lot."

"She's weird!" Ryuk chortled, just now able to make coherent sentences in between his laughter. Light and I both chose to disregard him, but he didn't care. "I like 'er."

"Hmm…" Light mockingly debated, pressing a finger to his chin. "I think I could do that. But, you need to do something for me." Of course, he said this just when I was about to sigh in relief. I placed my hands on my hips and waited for him to continue, not liking where this was heading but all the while interested. "I need you to help out with something, but…" He motioned towards Ichio and Sam with his eyes. The former was busy comforting the latter, but they were the only people who were relatively close by and were paying attention to us.

"Maybe... I suppose it depends," I hummed. "Well, just text me!" I then suddenly exclaimed, perking up Ichio's ears. She suddenly focused more on me and Light, grinning even wider than before, but Sam was still busy hyperventilating.

Light immediately caught on to the plan, speaking louder. "When? In class? You can't be serious." He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What if we get caught? It would be much safer to just wait until lunch to go over the homework answers."

"I know, I know, but I'm impatient. Besides, neither of us really need to pay attention in class, do we? Except for maybe me, I suppose." I began to walk away, turning around when I was halfway to the doorway to give him a wave. "I'm sure you can figure something out!"

The bell rang as I left the room.

.

...ooOoo…

.

 **Yagami (8:42 am)**

delete your messages after class. we don't want anyone going back through to read them.

 **Me (8:43 am)**

ofc, i know. what is it you need?

 **Yagami (8:43 am)**

ryuk pointed out something interesting to me last night. someone was following me on my way home from cram school at gamou prep.

 **Me (8:46 am)**

weird. i was being followed after visiting you, as well. any idea about what to do or who it could be?

 **Yagami (8:46 am)**

you, too? strange. i'm thinking that it has something to do with... him. he may be using pawns to investigate people related to the task force. probably because of the whole 'hacking into dad's computer' thing.

 **Me (8:51 am)**

i told you so

 **Yagami (8:52 am)**

i don't need you mocking me right now, yumiko. this is a problem. i need to take care of anyone who may be following us as soon as possible.

 **Me (8:52 am)**

understood. but no :)

 **Yagami (8:52 am)**

so i need you to help me out. i've already planned out everything, but i need you to come with me to act as a cover.

 **Yagami (8:53 am)**

oh, you sent that while i was typing…

 **Me (8:57 am)**

no

 **Yagami (8:58 am)**

you could at least let me explain it all first. trust me, it's full-proof. we can just pretend it's a date, if you want. you won't even have to think about it that much.

 **Me (9:01 am)**

no

 **Me (9:07 am)**

yes

 **Yagami (9:07 am)**

great. you can't take that back now.

 **Me (9:10 am)**

well, actually, i could, and totally would

 **Yagami (9:11 am)**

you're really going to do this now..?

 **Me (9:12)**

sorry, i haven't been in a good mood lately.

 **Me (9:13)**

look, i'll do it, but i have a condition ;)

.

...ooOoo…

.

Light had slipped me the Death Note during passing periods so I could read what he wrote. He was right in guessing that I could extrapolate enough information from it to understand his plan, but I really wish we had more time to go over it all. Even a week ahead would've been nice, but, of course, he'd waited until today to mention it. At least it was better than him telling me right before we would need to leave.

The plan itself was simple enough: Lure the stalkers onto bus, have lunatic take bus hostage, make stalkers give identification, kill lunatic, and bada-bing, bada-boom, we'd have the stalkers' names and faces. But, even after reading Light's texts concerning his suspicions about L having hired people, something still felt… off. Perhaps it was my pessimistic outlook on things, but I couldn't help but think that something would go horribly wrong.

Nonetheless, there was nothing I could do now, for the criminal Light had used would be getting on that bus whether we were there or not. Plus, who knows what he'll do or what will happen if Light were to never drop a piece of the Death Note for him to see Ryuk, the "horrific demon at the back of the bus"?

Also, Light had yet to tell me what he planned to do once he got his hands on those stalkers' identities. I mean, I could guess that he'd kill them, but how would he go about it? To merely kill those two when there could be a whole group would be just like announcing to L straight up that he was Kira. Likewise, I found no way to get the entire group's names and faces without huge risk.

I was tempted to text Light again, but then it hit me. If he were to directly approach even just one of the stalkers, tell them that he was Kira, and then use their fear of death to his advantage, then it was possible. He could even trick them to-

"Kasai, could you please give the answer to problem four?" Everyone in class turned to face me, and I plastered an indifferent expression upon my face, sliding the Death Note under my textbook casually as I stood up.

"Sure thing. As you all can probably see from the structure of the system, the best way to approach this problem is to make it so we can solve both variables in two separate parts…"

Well, even if that was what Light wanted to do with the stalkers' identities, there was still a chance that L could trace it all back to him if he wasn't being absolutely careful. There were tons of variables, like public cameras, or witnesses.

"Because both equations are now solved for _x_ , this makes our job much easier. We can simply set them equal to each other, leaving us with only one variable, _y_ …"

I need to think. If Light and I get their names and faces, we'll need to wait before killing them, that way they'll have time to investigate more people.

"If _y_ equals two-fifths, then, we can solve for _x_ by substituting in two-fifths for _y_ in either equation. You only need to use one equation this time, and you still get the answer. And so, x comes out to being four-fifths."

Aha.

Smiling, I reseated myself and began doodling light outlines around the graphics on the pages of my textbook with one hand, my other busy with my phone under the desk, finishing writing a message to Light.

.

 **Me (10:02 am)**

alright. i'll help, but i'm in charge of finally killing them, and whatever group they're in. that means, light, that i'm writing their names, i'm setting the times of death, and i'm getting rid of their coworkers. how and when i do this will be not your concern. you'll just have to leave it all to me. if this is unacceptable, you'll need to go find yourself another random girl to traumatize

 **Me (10:03 am)**

so, do we have a deal..? :)

 **Yagami (10:14 am)**

fine, deal.

 **Yagami (10:19 am)**

but at the very least you could let me come with you in order to, you know, make sure you're okay. perhaps we could just talk it over a little bit?

 **Me (10:20 am)**

hmmm, lemme think...

 **Me (10:28 am)**

no ;)

* * *

 **(LONG) A/N:** *climbs into tree* HERE, TAKE THIS 2,300 WORD CHAPTER, JUST DON'T EAT ME

Nah, but seriously, I'm so sorry about the wait for this. Winter festivities kept me busy all break, I transferred high schools mid-year, my graunt passed away (great aunt), I've been sick for almost two weeks now, and I'm now taking college classes alongside everything else. As an apology of sorts, this chapter is almost perfectly 2X more words than I usually do (and yet I still manage to have barely anything happen plot-wise, ugh) so I hope you enjoy it, because I may not get around to updating in a bit because of this cold (I feel like dying right now, it's 1am and my fever is 102F).

Anyways, some of you might be wondering… WHAT IS THIS, FLUFF? And you'd be right, I actually wrote a little bit of fluff! I mean, it's not romantic fluff, but it's certainly not serious plot either, so the best category for it is fluff. I thought that Yumi needed some friends to bounce ideas off of in the future, so I decided the best way to introduce them would be through fluff. Also, if you're curious as to why Yumi isn't in like, AP Calc, or something like that, just keep in mind that she cares a whole lot less about academics than, say, Light, and that reflects on her grades.

I'm hoping you all understand the English bits, but if you don't (or you think that there's a better way for me to handle it) please let me know! Also, grammar. If I've made any mistakes whatsoever, tell me and I'll fix it asap. It's 1am, so I may have missed things.

Just because, I wanted to share a list of the things I researched while writing this chapter: What school does Light Yagami go to? What are shoe lockers? Can police monitor text messages? Fluff definition for fanfiction. What are Light's school's uniforms? Do some Japanese schools not have uniforms? Do Japanese schools have regular lockers? Which to use: British or English Exchange Student? British Exchange Student Policy. Cat photos to relieve stress. How do I write characters speaking in other languages? Daikoku Private Academy. Japanese school blueprint. What time does school start in Japan? ...and many more. I want to make sure everything is as accurate as possible. :3

So, I tried doing a riddle(?) type thingy towards the end. Anyone who can somewhat-guess what Yumi is thinking about doing, you get a cookie! For anyone who can't, don't blame yourself, because it's probably my fault. I suck at doing these things (just like I suck at romance, and action, and horror, and fluff, and pretty much just writing in general), but hopefully it gives you all some insight into her thought process!

Reviews, reviews~!

.

...ooOoo…

.

 **RimK10:** Awe, shucks… Thank you! Please continue to enjoy~ Things can only get better from here. ;)

 **secret:** Hi…,,,... to you, too! Thank you for your kind words~ I will indeed keep working on it, so please enjoy!

 **HisRedRose123:** Uwahhh~ Thanks so much! The fact that you like Yumi so much means the world to me. I'm trying so hard to make her as unique as possible, and I've been worried that she'll end up a Mary Sue anyway, so hearing that my efforts are paying off makes me feel so proud! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you enjoy this update!

 **LPWomer:** No, you are awesome!~

.

...ooOoo…

.

 _Alright, now I need some serious bed rest. I wish you all a good day/night, wherever you are! Xoxo~_


End file.
